As a property investor building up to let an investment property, whether it’s your first or seventh, you’ll have a host of things to consider before the property can be put up for rental. One of the important issues that should be on your list is electrical safety.
By law, landlords are required to ensure that the electric system in a property is safe for tenants to use. This applies to not only the electrics as whole, but also any electrical appliances that you supply with the rental – such as kitchen equipment or televisions.
Electrical safety is covered by various laws, including the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Housing Act 2004, the Electrical Equipment Regulations 1994 and The Consumer Protection Act 1987. For HMO properties, there’s also the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, which requires annual Fire Safety Risk Assessments to be carried out.
Although you don’t have to have electric systems and electrical appliances in rental properties checked on an annual basis, it’s a good idea to get them checked regularly to cover yourself in case of any problems. As a guide, this could be a couple of times during a continuous tenancy and definitely between new lets.
A qualified electrician is a good port of call for getting your electrics assessed and will be able to supply you with an electrical certificate once everything is verified as working and safe (this certificates are not essential for landlords, but can be useful to have). Electrical standards have changed a fair bit over the years, so it’s a good idea to have any outdated electrics replaced and bring them up the current wiring regulations; a circuit breaker should also be fitted to circuits if you don’t already have one.
Instruction booklets should be provided for any electrical appliances you’re supplying with the rental property and, where possible, it’s best to avoid using secondhand equipment. You should also provide tenants with details as to where the main electric unit is situated, where the fuse box is and where any isolator switches are located, so they know where to find it in an emergency.
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